Weiss had been minding her own business mostly, watching Ruby play--and declining to join her.

She thought she saw a fight almost start with Yang, but it looked like Neptune diffused it...so he was good for something.

"Well, this just turned out great," she muttered. "Ruby, I'm not sure we're welcome here."

"Relax, Weiss," Ruby dismissed it. "Nothing's going on. Besides, I've almost beat my high score."

"Oh sure, that's so important," Weiss said. 

"Weiss, can you get me a juice?" Ruby asked.

"Why can't you get it?" Weiss said.

"I'm trying to concentrate!" Ruby said. "And you're not doing anything. Please..."

"Ugh." Weiss rolled her eyes and walked away to the counter.

What was Ruby's favorite again?... Oh, anything would be fine.

"One juice please," she said.

The guy looked her up and frowned. "Look, we let kids in here to use the dance floor, but I draw the line at serving them booze, alright? The huntsmen let the rest slide as long as we're not liable."

"Not alcohol," Weiss said, in disgust. "Just regular juice."

"Oh...well, I only have two flavors," the guy said.

"Just pick one. I don't care," Weiss said.

"Rough day?" the guy said.

"No...yes... It's just a typical day," Weiss said. 

She turned pointedly.

"You might not want to do that," someone addressed her.

She looked up.

Some guy probably her age or a few years older at most--with a weapon, so likely a huntsman--was sitting a couple seats down and watching her with a mischievous grin.

"Excuse me?" she said.

"Turning your back on the counter," the guy said. "That's how people slip something in your drink."

Weiss blinked.

"You here alone?" the guy asked.

"No," Weiss said primly.

The last thing she needed was some weirdo trying to start something with her.

"I figured." The guy had a weird accent. [We pictured Scottish again... Don't know why it seemed to fit Vacuo so well.] "Aren't you a Schnee?"

Weiss did not acknowledge that.

"Schnee?" The counter person took a closer look at her. "Well, she's got the hair, but plenty of people have white hair."

"Hair, eyes, outfit." The other guy looked her up and down. "And sword. I saw her in the festival. Weiss, right?"

"If you're going to say something about my family, I really don't want to hear it," Weiss said tightly.

"Get that a lot, do you?" The guy didn't give up.

"More than I like," Weiss said, prickly.

"Can you blame 'em?" the bartender said. "Do you have money to pay for this?" He frowned.

"She's a Schnee--she's got money," the guy said.

It was dark in here, but his flaming red hair kind of stood out. He fit the Vacuo mode of oddly dressed, rough-looking people.

Weiss wouldn't have guessed he was a bully just from his look, though, but she couldn't be too careful.

She pulled out her wallet and sighed. Ruby better pay her back later. Money wasn't exactly flowing here.

"Actually that's just for normal customers," the bartender said, with an unpleasant look. "For a Schnee, it's double."

"What?" Weiss said.

"I mean, fair is fair," the bartender said. "Considering what your family puts us through, it's the least you could do."

"But..." Weiss felt kind of sick.

"Well, now, that guy's got a point." The red haired boy slid closer along the counter--the bartender didn't seem to be at all concerned that it was unsanitary. "I mean, the way you all dumped refugees in our kingdom, brought Grimm on us, and are taking our resources, which aren't that great to begin with, I'd say you do owe us a little compensation."

Weiss glared at him.

"Oh, really?" she said.

"Yeah, but it's looking like you don't have nearly enough money on you right now," the red haired guard said mischievously. "So I have a proposal."

"What did you have in mind, Wallace?" the bartender asked.

Weiss put her hand on her rapier.

Wallace flicked a few lien out of his own pocket onto the counter.

"I'll spot her for now," he said, "in exchange for her paying me back later."

The bartender gave him an odd look.

"I mean it, Jeff." There was just the slightest hint of an edge to Wallace's tone there.

Jeff rolled his eyes. "Never have any fun when you bleeding heart huntsmen are around."

He took the lien and walked away toward the register.

Weiss didn't understand what just happened.

"Are you trying to rob me?" she said. "I'll pay you back right now for that. I didn't need your charity."

"Oh, don't mind him," Wallace said. "He's just sore because he's been losing business because of this overcrowding costing people more--they can't come in for pleasure anymore so much. He'll bounce back."

"Sounds like both of you have problems with me," Weiss said.

She held up her lien. "So here."

"Well, let's think about this," Wallace said. "I figure you owe me for both the order and for getting him off your back, so it could be a little higher than that, and then there's also the whole situation at hand. I mean, it is kind of inconvenient for us all."

"So what?" Weiss said. 

"Well, I would accept dinner as reparation," Wallace said.

Weiss raised an eyebrow.

It took her a full two seconds to put together.

"Did you just ask me out?" she said incredulously.

"I thought it was pretty smooth," Wallace said. "I mean, you owe me, right?"

"I don't owe you anything, you nitwit!" Weiss threw the lien at him. "Leave me alone."

"Oh, don't be like that, Snowflake," Wallace said. "I was just messing with you."

"Well, don't," Weiss said.

She started to storm away.

"You forgot your juice," Wallace said.

Weiss turned around and picked it up. "It wasn't even for me anyway!"

She walked back to Ruby.

"Are you okay? That took a long time," Ruby said.

"Fine!" Weiss said. "Here's your stupid juice." She shoved it hard at her, spilling some of it.

"Weiss, careful!" Ruby said. "You'll get it on the game!... What's wrong with you? Did something happen?"

"I'm fine," Weiss said snidely. "But I don't like this place. People here are hooligans."

"Weiss, you say that about everyone."

"Except this time someone just tried to steal from me," Weiss said.

"Oh...wait, isn't that kind of normal here?" Ruby asked.

"Still..." Weiss said, "it was...humiliating."

Ruby sighed. "Sorry...do you really want to go...?"

Weiss could see Ruby didn't really want to leave.

Well...it would be the more considerate thing to just allow her to finish... Winter would approve that.

"I suppose I can wait," she said. "I'm just going to sit down."

"Okay."

Weiss sat down not that far away.

To her annoyance, Wallace followed her.

"Look, I may have kind of put my foot in my mouth back there," he said apologetically. "I didn't mean any harm by it, honest. I just was trying to think of a way to say hello."

"Why? Did you want my lunch money next?" Weiss said.

Wallace plunked the lien back down in front of her.

"Drink was on me," he said. "Consider it payback for what he said."

"You started it."

"I didn't mean him to get serious," Wallace said, a bit helplessly. "I was just playing with you. Guess it wasn't that smooth, ey?"

"It was horrible," Weiss frowned.

But she was slightly appeased... Maybe he was just a moron. Not a bully.

"Well, what did you want?" she said in a more tolerant voice.

"Uh...well, I spotted you across the club, and I thought you didn't look like you were from around here," he said.

Weiss eyed her clothes. "I guess that's obvious..."

"So I thought I'd say hello. We don't meet too many Atlas girls here," Wallace said.

"And what do you want me to act like?" Weiss snapped.

"Easy, easy there, Snow Tiger." Wallace held up his hands. "I just mean you're different. Different can be good, right? No need to get your panties in a wad."

"I cannot believe you just said that!" Weiss was shocked--and Winter would have been also.

"Why?" Wallace actually looked genuinely confused.

"It...was..." Weiss fumbled. "Nevermind... Are you done gawking?"

"Can I sit down?" Wallace asked.

Weiss sized him up.

"I'm not doing anything else..." she said, "but it's probably a waste of my time."

"Thanks for the reassurance." Wallace risked sitting down. "So you are Weiss Schnee, right?"

"Yeah..." Weiss frowned at him.

"Wow..." Wallace said.

"What?" Wallace said.

"Oh, I'm just impressed. Wouldn't have thought you'd have the guts to walk in here," Wallace said. "You know people hate you, right?"

Weiss frowned.

"I mean, they're mad about the embargo and crap," Wallace said.

"For your information, that was not even the SDC's idea," Weiss said snippily. "And I'm no longer affiliated with the SDC, so their distrust of me is entirely misplaced."

"Is that right?" Wallace said. "So you're not the heir anymore?"

"No," Weiss said.

She thought this would end the conversation.

But instead Wallace grinned. "Well, isn't that a novelty? What happened, you piss Daddy off?"

"Uh..." Weiss wasn't sure how to answer that. "Yes...it's none of your business though."

"That's classic. He cut you off." Wallace leaned on the table.

"It's not funny," Weiss said.

"Oh...right, I guess not to you, eh? Sorry, I just think it's great, you know. Rich people can be such snobs, but when they fight amongst themselves, it's kind of funny."

"No, it's not," Weiss shuddered. "You think we're all best friends up there? No, it's horrible. And you know nothing about it. Or my life. And it's not funny."

She was killingly scornful with the last part.

Wallace chuckled. "The tiger has claws... Well, hey, I won't hold that against you, lass."

"Lass?" Weiss said.

"Girl," Wallace explained. "You know...lass?"

"Oh..." Weiss said oddly.

"So are you slumming it right now, or are you one of us?" Wallace said.

"One of you?" Weiss said.

"You know...poor?" Wallace said.

"I guess I am, in a way," Weiss said. "I'm not slumming it... We just came out for some fun, before we get back to saving the world." She sighed.

"Oh, like you do," Wallace said.

But then, seeing that she was serious, he frowned. "Huh...you must be those people who were at Haven, right? I heard of that."

"Yes...that's us," Weiss said.

"Oh..." Wallace said. "Wow...that's quite something. So why did you all come here?"

"No choice," Weiss said. "Atlas fell... No one else could take this many people."

"And we could?" Wallace said.

"Well, we didn't know that at the time," Weiss said indignantly. "And you all made it so clear we're not welcome, but we're still working on getting people relocated. So sorry. You know, people have lost their whole lives, homes, families, everything. I'd think a little overcrowding would seem like a lesser problem than that."

"Maybe," Wallace said. "But around here, we like to be asked for help. Not just forced into it."

"We didn't have time to ask," Weiss said. "I'd think you all could rise to the occasion."

"Maybe," Wallace said. "But you ever hear of shooting the crow?"

"My sister has tried to many times." Weiss couldn't believe she just made that joke.

"Huh?"

"Nevermind," Weiss said. "No, I don't know what you mean."

"If you go about with people others don't like, you get lumped in with them?" Wallace said. "Even if some of you are the victims here, you're still with a lot of jerks, so people here are going to lump you together. Maybe it's not fair, but it's just what people do. But on behalf of Vacuo, I apologize for our unruly behavior... I did hear a rumor that one of you gave back pretty good in one of our town bars though..."

Weiss hoped Winter lived this down eventually.

"Sorry for the first impression." Wallace stuck out his hand. "Name's Meridian, Meridian Fergus Wallace."

[Meridian is an astronomical term, but its root means midday/noon. Fergus means strong man. Meridian's name is also a reference to Merida from Brave, which means leader. Wallace is for William Wallace.]

"Meridian?"

"Aye, it's a mouthful," Meridian said. "Friends call me Mer-- or Meri, when they want their a---s kicked."

"Weiss Schnee." Weiss shook his hand reluctantly. "But you knew that."

"Well, it's just a name till you meet someone." Meridian leaned back.

Weiss rolled her eyes.

"So can you forget my first impression?" Meridian asked slyly.

"I'll think about it," Weiss said stiffly.

"Weiss?" Yang appeared right then. "Is this guy bothering you?"

Meridian looked at her and then sized her up. "Whoa..."

Neptune was behind her, looking at Weiss questioningly.

Weiss smirked suddenly. "Actually no," she said. "We were just having a nice chat. Yang, Neptune, this is Meridian Wallace."

"Wait, I know you," Neptune said. "You're a student at Shade, right?"

"Eh, I graduated this year," Meridian said. "But I've been hanging around. Theo needs people he can trust close to Vacuo's housing. You're Sun's friend, right? I know that kid--he's pretty good. Likes bananas 🍌 a lot."

"Oh yeah, you helped us with that one Grimm thing." Neptune snapped his fingers. "Nice weapon, dude."

"Thanks, I always thought so." Meridian grinned.

Yang rolled her eyes. "You want to hug it out? Weiss, are you sure he's not bugging you?"

"I'm fine, Yang," Weiss said, confidently. "We were just talking, really. He paid for my juice--well, it was really for Ruby, but anyway."

"Smooth," Neptune told him. "But careful with Weiss."

Weiss frowned at him.

"She's pretty cool," Neptune said, "so you don't want to play any games with her."

Weiss was surprised.

"I wasn't," Meridian said. "It's all right, mate. You should talk. You're a right down fricker, aren't you?"

"I am not," Neptune said. "Also, dude, I can barely understand what you're saying with that accent of yours."

"Same goes to you, blighter," Meridian replied dryly. "Now, if you'd shove off, I was listening to this bonny lass here."

"This what?" Weiss said.

"Oh, bonny just means pretty," Neptune translated. "This guy talks all weird, by the way. A lot of people here do."

"Yeah, no kidding," Yang said, giving Weiss a weird look. "Well, don't let us keep you, I guess..."

She walked away, Neptune in tow.

"Is that your sister?" Meridian said.

"No," Weiss said.

"I knew that. I was joking," Meridian said.

"My sister is much scarier than her," Weiss said.

"I believe it," Meridian said. "Was that all just some way to get to Neptune?"

He wasn't stupid.

"It's nothing," Weiss said. "Just karma."

"Well, I feel used," Meridian said, pouting. "That was a low blow, lassie."

"Well, they didn't have to interrupt," Weiss said. "I just wanted to make it obvious I didn't need them."

"Is that better?" Meridian wondered.

Weiss wondered if she had been rude.

"Sorry..." she said more meekly. "Maybe I overstepped a little there."

"I'm not sure you can pull off that catty, angry ex schtick if you're going to apologize for it," Meridian said.

"I'm not his ex!" Weiss said. "He's just a nitwit, and he had that coming!"

"Well, I agree with you on that, but still, you seem too nice to pull it off," Meridian said.

Weiss was, ironically, always one to be swayed by flattery.

"Well, I'm not planning to keep it going. It was just a one time thing," she said, more cordially. "Just to mess with him."

"I suppose I can't judge--I started this whole thing the same way..." Meridian decided to call it fair. "Well, should I take that as my cue to get lost?"

"It's fine if you want to stay a little longer..." Weiss shrugged. "I'm still waiting for Ruby to finish."

[Ah...well...what did you expect from me? Iceberg?]

* * *

This time of the evening, Raven and Winter had been training again--in the courtyard this time, to keep from destroying something.

Since they knew that the enemy would know they were at Shade by now, there wasn't much need to hide it.

Raven had taught Winter to summon shapes with ice, which was easy for Winter to pick up on because it was like her Semblance.

But control of magic just wasn't something you got overnight, and Winter still wanted to do more than she was capable of.

"If I could combine my Semblance with the powers, it could inflict more damage." She wiped her forehead.

Even evening heat in Vacuo was at least 30 degrees more than Atlas on a given day.

Raven put ice on her own neck to cool herself off.

"Pulling off something like that took me years," she said. "I don't know if you can acquire that in time, Schnee. Just controlling lightning and wind would be a big advantage. I've got lightning down pretty good, but wind is much harder to aim. I'd like to be able to make a sort of shield out of it, but my Semblance doesn't involve that kind of control, and my Aura control was never that high either. I fight instinctively."

"So you're saying that you can't help me there," Winter translated.

Raven shrugged. "Sounds more like Sol is good at that. Apparently she's gifted or something."

"Yes...so why is she so unfit?" Winter put her sword away. "Whatever her secret is."

She wasn't sure at what point she and Raven had stopped fighting verbally and lost their animosity, but somehow Raven seemed to feel no need to provoke her anymore--and she really didn't find any dislike for the older woman now.

"I'll tell you, whatever it is, what she did to Summer pisses me off," Raven said.

"Why? It was Summer's choice," Winter said.

"Oh, I got that part," Raven said emphatically. "Though I doubt Qrow sees it that way."

"They were close?" Winter had noticed this much about the tension around it.

Raven glanced at her like she was sizing her up, then shrugged. "Well, Tai and I were kind of...a thing then. I guess we left them third-wheeling a lot. But they always hit it off. Pretty sure that was part of the reason he stuck with Ozpin..."

"You didn't like her?" Winter said.

"She was fine." Raven said it the same tone Weiss would have used to describe Ruby. "Apparently, smarter than they were. And yet not, at the same time. I always thought her optimism would get her killed. Right yet again."

"I'm sorry." Winter didn't usually express sympathy, but it seemed appropriate here.

Raven shrugged. "Don't let it get to you, Schnee. That was over a decade ago. We have bigger problems than that. I can focus on the here and now. Still, I wonder if my stupid brother will keep his head clear when we find this woman."

"She didn't kill her," Winter said.

"Yeah, but she hid the truth. That's been driving him crazy for 13 years." Raven gestured. "I'm surprised he's not more upset. I gave up finding it out ages ago. Figured I knew already. And really, I did. But what I can't get over is that she and Theo knew more about Salem, and about the shady business going on here, and didn't warn anybody. Fools."

"I notice a pattern with you," Winter mused. "Actual treachery seems to bother you less than concealing the truth of a matter does, even among your allies."

"Because upfront treachery is in your face," Raven said. "And hidden truth is just treachery with another name. You'll notice this difference between Qrow and I, Schnee--I don't pretend not to be what I am, but he and Oz always had to paint this all out to be less bad than it was."

"I don't know about that," Winter said. "I do think you pretend not to care that much."

Pause.

"So now you know me, huh?" Raven deflected. 

"Perhaps this sounds quaint," Winter said, "but I am not unfamiliar with people who pretend something does not bother them."

Raven frowned at her but then brushed it off. "Doesn't matter. What I blame them for is that they knew Salem couldn't be killed, and they still sent Summer and the other woman after her. What a joke."

"I see, but even we are still doing the same," Winter said.

"I never said we were smarter," Raven noted dryly. "But direct confrontation is not my goal."

Winter wondered at that. Raven seemed to want to put herself back in this game...but she wouldn't acknowledge it.

Winter decided not to push it.

"I'm sure finding out the truth at least is better than the many mysteries on what happened," she mused.

"And whatever Nikos found out," Raven said offhandedly. "It scared her and you enough to not share with the rest of us."

Winter cast her a look... Of course she'd noticed.

"It's her, isn't it?" Raven eyed her sword warily.

Winter sighed.

"And did you both agree with that?" Raven wanted to know.

"Neither of us did," Winter said. "I admit, though, Qrow's response surprised me. A complete turnaround from before, from what I gathered. Miss Nikos deserves her freedom, but I didn't expect it."

"Huh..." Raven even seemed mildly impressed. "Who knew?... Took him long enough."

"In all fairness, considering how long we've actually known for sure the truth, it's not been that long," Winter said.

"Oh, relax." Raven waved dismissively. "I won't kick a gift horse in the mouth, if that's what you're worried about. It's just ironic."

"I'm not worried, I just don't think we need to keep sorting over the disagreements we've had," Winter said.

Raven cast her another look. "Well, you're one to talk."

Pause.

"I'm...endeavoring to get past certain differences," Winter said more cautiously.

Raven snorted a dry laugh. "Sure... Things have changed a lot from your trainee days, huh?"

"Hmm?" Winter didn't know how to take that.

"I just remember how it was back then," Raven said carelessly. "Qrow told me the story. I mean, he'd had a few at the time, so he was a bit chattier, but it was amusing enough."

"Story?" Winter said.

"Yeah...you remember how you two got to be such enemies, right?" Raven said.

"I remember..." Winter said coolly. "It was...not a pleasant experience."

"I wondered what your side of it would be," Raven said. "Qrow thinks he's so smooth, but he just comes off as an ass most of the time."

"I don't wish to speak of it," Winter said. Then, against her better judgment, "What did he tell you?"

"You wouldn't want to hear it," Raven said, in a tone that meant she knew that wasn't true.

Winter would not be baited that easily--she hoped.

But Raven couldn't resist anyway.

"Still, it was a good joke on Atlas... I knew about the SDC's scandal from one of the heirs stepping down, of course--everyone knew about that. Serves that pompous prick right, if you ask me. Qrow thought so too. I think he was quite looking forward to meeting the person who started it."

Winter doubted that.

"You're joking," she said. 

"Not really. He always was a sucker for those types of stories." Raven rolled her eyes. "Believe the good in people and all that. You probably weren't quite what he thought, though."

She smirked at that.

"I see," Winter said. "Because I wasn't a spoiled rich girl?"

"Well, maybe you are that," Raven shrugged. "How would I know? But no, I think he more expected someone who'd ditch the Schnee family for the military to be a bit more...penitent about the SDC's crimes--or else, a complete firebrand railing against the industry. Let's just say, you're not either of those things."

"I'm sure I have felt my share of embarrassment over my father's actions, but I don't take ownership of them," Winter said.

"Yeah, it's that right there." Raven pointed at her, rather rudely. "That distancing from it. That's the surprising part. You know how it is--you have all these fluffy ideas about family. You think that no one ever wants to separate themselves from theirs. But I can understand that part, personally. Being Jacques' pet wouldn't sit well with me. But you know, Ironwood was just tickled to death over that. He never liked the SDC's new and improved management. I think we both know the friendship between your father and him was just to keep an eye on him and to keep being able to use the dust. Qrow doesn't really understand subtleties like that, so he never thought highly of that strategy. Always did see Atlas Elites as sell outs to the whole pride and glory of Atlas stchick."

"So he has made me aware, multiple times," Winter said. "But it no longer matters."

"No, I suppose not," Raven said.

A pause.

"But why he would consider that important enough to tell you about, I can't understand," Winter couldn't resist.

"He likes to brag on his conquests." Raven used a very poor choice of words. "Battle and otherwise. Back then we weren't quite as strained as now, so I guess it was one of those rare moments of agreeing about something. Namely that the SDC deserved to get burned. But yeah, turns out also that he had a special place in his heart for picking fights with the most infamous rebel in Atlas...I mean, before Hill anyway."

Winter didn't like to admit that was true--she'd never lived it down, being a Schnee. No matter how long she was in the military, people still assigned guilt to her over it.

In a way that's why she'd thought Weiss was better off in Beacon... At least it was a little farther from the most vicious resentment.

"I wonder why he'd bother," she said, "if, as you say, you thought my father had it coming."

"You should ask him that," Raven said. "But I got the idea you made more of an impression in some ways than expected. Takes two to tango, they say. But you probably remember that better than I do. I wasn't there...usually."

Usually?

Winter was afraid to ask what that meant.

She had been questioning every crow or raven she'd ever seen since hearing about that bird shape-shifting thing.

There had often been other black birds around while Qrow was... No...

She gave Raven a look of disgust.

Raven shrugged.

But this at least did explain one mystery--the first time she ever met Qrow, he had seemed to know who she was better than if he'd just heard of some newly promoted graduate of Atlas Academy.

That reminded her of the other thing she'd been questioning about.

"Back then, did either of you assume I would be the Maiden?"

"I can't say it never crossed my mind," Raven said. "But I didn't care that much. I'm sure Qrow thought of it, but he wouldn't say it to me, not after I left. I didn't deserve that kind of tip off." She made a face. "But he was always pretty vocal about his idea of James' methods of drawing people into the military. Ozpin never quite liked it either, and Qrow was just his parrot 🦜. Not that I didn't kind of see their point. It was a little too much power. If you're thinking that your destiny is not really as much your own as you always thought, well, welcome to my world... Why do you think I dipped?"

So...Raven had left in order to have some agency in her own life?

Winter didn't like that she could see why that would be appealing for someone like Raven.

"Was it worth it?" she asked aloud.

"For a while," Raven said. "At least I thought so...but I did come to see you sacrifice things, no matter which course you choose. So you should be sure they are the right things. I could never stand to sacrifice my freedom. But other people can't sacrifice their family bonds and friends. I think it's weak to let other people sway you like that, but I've been told I'm too callous. Twisted."

She folded her arms. "In the end, we all end up in the same place anyway. But I...don't entirely regret at least some years of being outside of it. But I never really was. I always had to watch my back. Always had to look out for Salem. There was no real escape."

"Then your leaving amounted at most to prolonging the inevitable," Winter said. "As if you knew that sooner or later you would be back on Ozpin's side."

"I figured if it did happen, I wanted it to be on my own terms," Raven said. "And not on Ozpin's side, on my own side. Apparently that makes me selfish, and yet what gives him any more right than anyone else to decide what's right and what isn't? Why shouldn't I decide for myself?"

Winter was more surprised by how much that echoed her own sentiments than by Raven's boldness in discarding all Ozpin's experience and knowledge that easily.

"Yet, we didn't choose our enemy," Winter said. "Or our situations, fully. We just make choices based on what is available."

"Yes...we're never free of this mess," Raven said. "In that way...can we blame Summer either? Or this new Maiden?"

Winter pursed her lips.

She was worried that Raven was right... Were they in any position really to say Vara couldn't decide how to handle this on her own? Did they know better?

She was getting sick of thinking about this.

And sick of not knowing how to answer it.

[The Bible says that we plan our course in our hearts, but the steps are determined for us.  That has led people to question whether we really do control our fate.

The fact is, we never will be able to control what happens to us. Only what we do about it. And most moral and ethical philosophies are really more about how to respond to life's complications than how to avoid them.

It's interesting that the current trend is to try to avoid trouble just by avoiding going into any unfamiliar or uncomfortable terrain to begin with.

The world of Remnant certainly would make you realize how impossible that is, and yet the characters are still so human that many of them try anyway, Lionheart and Raven being more notable examples.

Even when you know it won't work, the instinct to try to cheat fate is hard to resist.

Just something I observed in the writing of this story.]